Uncertainty stalls new road projects, says Sanral
But lobby group Outa says the road agency is being ‘disingenuous’
Toll-funded road projects were slowing down for want of clarity on toll policy, the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) said on Tuesday. This was immediately rejected as disingenuous by lobby group Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa). "Road infrastructure and maintenance is the job of government, national, provincial and local, " said Outa chairman Wayne Duvenage. Tolling was one way of funding infrastructure development, he said. "The problem is that these roads are generally paid up and the toll gates continue to charge increased tariffs, even though the only cost required is maintenance, once the capital cost is settled." Sanral’s e-toll scheme had failed and had to be reviewed, he said. In the past SA paid for this through the fuel levy. "But now Sanral says that until the citizens agree to pay e-tolls, we can’t build new roads. This is nonsense. The fuel levy alone provided the government with R65bn a year, which is not the amount given to Sanral (R15bn) or the provi...
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